The morning of the all hands summon to the Blasted Lands, Aely went for a walk. The late fall air was clear and cool, and leaves crunched under their feet in the less-traveled parts of the streets. She and Roger took the long way around Old Town, south through Tanner Circle and down Bulwarks, across […]

Comments Off on Motivation – Part 1
Written by Anna on August 20, 2012 – 6:02 pm

First Arrens noticed that Aely had her working armor out on its stand again, next to the dress armor she kept around for special occasions.

Then he noticed it was being cleaned up, the dents hammered out again, the paint retouched, leather straps repaired or replaced.

Then it was getting scratched, and suddenly there were two greatswords, a mace, a shield, and a double-ended polearm stacked in a corner between two bookcases.

She said nothing, but his worry got the better of him eventually. Aely didn’t often keep secrets, and while this one was pretty obviously sitting in the living room, he couldn’t bear the possible implications of it all, and eventually he simply couldn’t stand the silence.

Aely was working on a dent in her breastplate when he found her. “What is all this? What about the peace summit that’s coming, love? Don’t you trust to people to bring an end to all this wretched war?” His voice was genuinely concerned and confused – this wasn’t how things were between them.

“Don’t you think that’s a little, well, counterintuitive to giving this whole peace thing a try? Bricu says they’re really willing to talk, ready to give up the senseless slaughter if we’ll do the same.”

“Bricu’s got a good long history ay workin’ with th’ presumed good folk oan th’ other side. Me? All I’ve seen is th’ destruction of Lordaeron, an’ th’ destruction of Northrend, an’ now th’ destruction of Ashenvale an’ Southshore. I’ll keep Bricu’s good faith in mind, an’ go in th’ hopes tha’ he’s right. With all th’ insanity ay this world, it jus’ might be possible t’ save us all, an’ all we love, from yet another war.” She continued after an invisible spot of rust on her bracers.

“Why you, Aely? Why not work for peace /here/. Continue to rebuild Stormwind and tend to those who… who need you.” The look on his face bordered on desperate.

“Dammit, Arrens. Because I swore it. I swore it oan th’ day I started this whole mess, t’ vanquish evil, t’ protect innocents wi’ my very life, t’ spread wisdom an’ grace an’ peace. I canna stand by an’ let th’ peace summit go without me. But neither can I be unready if it fails.” Aely sighed again; this wasn’t a conversation she was ready to have yet, but here it was anyway.

“And what of all we’ve built here? Isn’t this your life now? Haven’t you given all that up in favor of peace? How can you leave all this behind?”

And there it was. The question she’d so wanted to avoid; the hurt and anger behind his voice betraying the very concerns she had about going back.

She’d let the war with Deathwing pass her by, working in Stormwind to rebuild the city and nurse the wounded who returned. Why /couldn’t/ she just continue like that? What was the draw to go back out and put her life on the line, healing in the fields and fighting… fighting a new enemy, really. A sentient enemy, if one she thought she was sworn to fight, at least in Sylvanas and her cult. But was this really even her fight?

“I’m… I’ll ne’er leave this behind, love. I’ve worked too hard oan it. But I canna stand by either. ‘S in my very blood – it’s who I am. Maybe yir right, an’ this isn’a my fight. But I’m restless t’ DO something. If peace happens, I’ll fight fir that – but if justice is needed, my hand will be in th’ fray. I dinna fight blindly, nor trust blindly. But I canna sit by an’ watch. I doubt the Riders will either. We’ll either be in th’ fight fir peace, or in th’ fight for what matters.”

“Fuck them. Fuck everything about that. Is this all their idea? Don’t you see that everything you start with them ends in misery and fighting? They’re a good enough bunch to have a drink with at the Pig and Whistle, but I still can not think what attracts you to ally yourself with them. Don’t they stand against everything you believe in?”

“They have no idea what I’m considering. They’re my Gods-damned /family/. I thought we were over this. I thought ye’d accepted them an’ what they work for, even if ye dinna always accept the methods. Dinna ye see what happened with the Lotus trade? None of us will go inta this senselessly. Bricu is /leading/ this cause for peace. The rest? We know th’ cost; we’ve seen it. And maybe the peace will work. Maybe we’ll end up working for that, working against th’ people who declare for war an’ conquest. But I /will not/ sit by an’ let it happen around me, offerin’ platitudes about th’ Light. I’m na fuckin’ Grayson Shadowbreaker.”

Arrens’ face began to redden as he further stood his ground. “Do you firmly believe another war is going to break out? I’ve no love for the Horde or the brutal tactics they’ve always maintained. I’m also firmly aware that Hellscream is a fanatical hothead, just as his father was before him. But clearly, cooler heads, even within the ranks of the Horde, must prevail.” He took a deep breath knowing the words on his lips would sting with a venomous bite. “Even more important than all of that, what of your promises to /me/? Of our desire to start a family? Does that mean less to you than an oath made to men who would see you throw your life away uselessly upon the battlefield? Or to your ‘family’,” he said with obvious sarcasm, “who clearly use you for their own personal gain? Can you, a woman more intelligent than most of my former instructors in Dalaran, be so blind as to not see that?”

He stood as well, standing near enough to her that each could feel the other’s breath on their faces. “My wife! That’s who! Do you believe I should be thankful that the woman I love is willing to throw her life away? For what? Politics?!” he spat. “What can possibly be achieved by a war of attrition? Certainly, someone will be declared the victor once the history books are written. Statues will be raised in honor of so-called heroes who laid down their lives. All because that idiot king and the hotheaded warchief can’t speak like two grown adults! Tell me, where in the Nether does that make sense?”

Arrens glared at her. He took another deep breath and shut his eyes for a moment. When they opened, he spoke quietly, in a voice that reminded Aely of how he spoke when reprimanding a particularly unruly student – calm, cool, and cause for more than a little concern. “Very well. If it’s my blessing you’re looking for, it’s my blessing you’ll receive. But know that I, too, have sworn my life. To you. And so, by that token, I will be joining you on the battlefield. Whether the Dawn or your ‘family’ approve, I don’t give a damn. I’ll turn over my duties as headmaster to one I can trust and bring my own particular brand of skills with me.”

“So yir just going t’ dismiss me. Ye canna be fucking serious.”

“Oh, very much so, my dear. While some of us merely ‘sat around’ during the events up north and others returned for weekends, bloodied and battle-weary, I vowed I would no longer be one of the former. Particularly after I swore my life to you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to put plans into motion.” With that, he walked out, slamming the door behind him and causing several students and faculty to jump at the commotion.

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Anna is a 20-something gamer on the Feathermoon (US RP-PVE) Server in World of Warcraft. Here you'll find all kinds of
assorted things about WoW, including roleplay, raiding, and whatever else Anna feels like rambling about today. She's got a lot of alts, so you never know what you'll find!